Individuals who perceive themselves as influential within their romantic partnerships tend to also report a richer and more fulfilling sex life. This is the summary from an international team of psychologists, featured in the JSR journal.
The experts further elaborate that this positive impact extends to their partners as well. In the context of a couple, psychological power is understood as the capacity to affect one’s partner to fulfill one’s own needs and desires. As the study’s authors from Bamberg University explain, while the impact of status and power in the workplace has been thoroughly investigated by researchers, its influence on the intimate side of relationships has received far less attention.
The research proceeded in several stages. Initially, 147 individuals in relationships completed questionnaires. Those who felt they possessed a greater ability to influence their partner usually expressed greater self-confidence, sexual satisfaction, and higher levels of sexual motivation.
Subsequently, the scientists surveyed 287 couples to gather data from both partners. This confirmed the initial findings. Furthermore, a mutual benefit for the relationship was observed stemming from the partner’s feeling of “power.”
The authors stress that “power” in this context does not imply domination or control, but simply the ability to be heard and to realize one’s own needs. The study revealed consistent correlations, though it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship. It is entirely plausible that a high-quality sex life inherently boosts feelings of confidence and influence.
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